Brickmaking-machine.



E. GURNEY. BBIUKMAKING MAOHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915'.

6 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Witnesses 1-l MORRIS PETERS (20., FHOTOLITHCL. WASHINGTON, D. c.

E. GURNEY. BRIOKMAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16,1912. 1,131 525, Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGmN, D4 C.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

6 SHBETSSHEET 3.

E. GURNEY. BRIGKMAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.16,1912.

Witnesses THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTOLITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

E. GURNEY.

BRIOKMAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.16,1912

Patented Mar. 9, 1915 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

\M/vesses WK/M THE NORRIS PETERS CO" PHOTC-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. C

E. GURNEY.

BBIGKMAKINC- MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.16,1912v Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Inventor THE nmkls PETERS 60., PHQTC-LITHQ, WASHINGTON u c.

E. GURNEY. BRIGKMAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.16,1912.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915' 6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

iii IT] If] THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHG.. WASHINGION, D. c.

srarns PATENT onrrcn.

EDMUND GUBNEY, or PORTLAND, OREGON, AssIGNon To 1?. .r. BUrtN's, or roRrLaNn, onneoN.

BRICKMAKING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed January 16', 1912. Serial No. 671,439.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, EDMUND GURNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brickmaking-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is to be operated in conjunction with brick making machines as ordinarily made and used. It will eliminate the use of one or more men, known as spreaders and old-bearers. When the material from which the bricks are to be made comes upon the bed of the present machine a number of the same are cut ofii at a single operation of the cutting off wires, but the individual bricks are left in such close proximity to each other that they can not be properly cured. This separating or spreading process is at present done by hand which is not only slow and tedious but distorts and leaves finger marks upon the soft bricks as well. One or more men are required to do this work depending upon their dexterity and skill. My device is so constructed that it may be attached to the frame of the cutting ofi' machine and made to perform the functions of spreading or separating the bricks as well as depositing them upon an offbearing cable or tram, or other suitable means to transport them to the yards or drying kilns. The attending operator at the machine is the only laborer required.

An especial feature of advantage of the improvements of this invention resides in the fact that the spreading mechanism employed by me is entirely automatic, that is to say, as the ordinary machine to which my spreading means is attached is operated, spreading action of the bricks is automatically performed.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a brick making and cutting machine having the automatic spreading'mechanism of my invention applied thereto, the portable pallet and transfer rolls being omitted,-however. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the complete machine, dotted lines showing the range of movement of the carriage and operating lever. Fig. 3 is a plan View partly broken away and dotted lines showing the position of the spreading mechanism in moving to deliver bricks in spread condition to the portable pallet. Fig. i is a plan View of the pr ncipal features of the attachment comprising the spreading mechanism. Fig. 5 1s a View showing the arrangement of the conveyor and portable pallet previous to delivery of the bricks to the latter; also showmg the brackets supporting the cam tracks or members. Fig. 6 is a combined view showing one of the cam tracks looking toward ts edge, and in plan view. Fig. 7 is a detail combined View showing the special form of connection between the several units of the spreader. Fig. 8 is a complete plan view of a brick making machine illustratmg the manner of delivering the stick of clay to the cutting table, the carriage being n the position assumed preliminary to bemg operated to cut the clay into bricks, and one of the portable pallets being shown as carrying off a set of spread bricks. Fig. 9 1s a bottom plan view of a portion of the frame attachment and bringing out more clearly the connections between the units of the spreader or spreader pallet, the latter being illustrated in their spread positions. F lgs. l0 and 11 are broken views in side elevation and section, respectively, showing a modified means whereby the transfer of the portable pallets from the machine to the conveyor may be effected. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view showing more clearly the members which connect the spreader units.

The automatic spreading mechanism of this invention has been designed particularlywith the view of readily attaching the same to a well known type of brick making or cutting off machine now in use. The invention, however, is adapted to be applied to brick making machines other than the special type illustrated in the drawings.

Specifically describing the invention, 1 in the drawings designates certain bolts by which brackets 2 are secured to the frame of the brick making machine at the opposite ends of the latter, a pair of said brackets being arranged to support a plate 3 having a cam groove or track 3 in the upper surface of the same. Bolts 4; are utilized to connect the brackets 2 with the track plates supported thereon.

Arranged to operate in the tracks 8 of the plates 3 are rollers 5, one of which is attached. to the end or outermost unit 6 of the spreader, the several units of the latter being numbered 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 and being relatively movable in order to accomplish their spreading function. The units of the spreader are mounted upon a somewhat rectangular frame 12 arranged transsecured to the carriage 19 ofthe brick cutting machine, said attachment including a frame 17, upon the sides of which are journaled rollers 13, 1a and 15, the latter being located intermediate the spreader and a portable pallet 16 which is adapted to be supported upon the free end portions of the sides of said frame 17 The frame 17 is attached to the carriage 19 by suitable bolts 19 and 19 and the bricks when out, are passed over the rollers 13, 11 and 15, on to the pallet 16, inthe operation of the machine as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

The brick cutting machine illustrated comprises the customary stand or table upon the upper portion of which is mounted the carriage 19 aforesaid, the latter being operated to move back and forth by means of a lever connected therewith in the conventional manner. Secured to the carriage at its delivery end are vertical standards 20 formed with guides 22 in which is mounted a stop 22. The stop 22 is provided at its opposite extremities with outwardly projecting pins 22 engaged by catches 21 which are pivotally mounted near the upper ends of the. standards 20.. The catches 21 have laterally extending portions at their upper extremities arranged in the path of the upper horizontal arms of thecarriage 19 and which arms form the supports for the upper extremities of the cutting wires 34, the illustration of which is omitted from Fig. 2 for clearness.

33 denotes the tension bars to which the cutting wires are secured. At the lower portion of the carriage 19. are provided horizontal slotted guides by which the back and forth movement of the carriage under the action of the lever 25 is allowed.

For carrying 011 the bricks from the machine after they have been properly spread automatically, the portable pallet 16 or any equivalent support is utilized, and is arranged above the belts of'a conveyer 30 of any ordmary type. The springs 18 are provided on the outer-ends of the sides of the frame 17 of the attachment and normally support the pallet 16 above. the conveyer and inoperative relative thereto. When the the manner shown in Fig. 8 where a pallet 16 is arranged to receive a load of cut bricks while a pallet 16 is illustrated as being carried off by the conveyor after having been loaded properly. It will be understood, however, that if desired the transfer of the loaded pallet 16 to the conveyer 30 may be effected by raising the latter by the use of a camlever or any equivalent means to en gage it with the pallet 16 in the necessary way. 1 p

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate means such as just described above and it will be observed that the frame 39 which supports the axis 4-0 of the conveyer wheels 31 is mounted in suitable boxes carried by the frame 39. Slides 4:]. are vertically movable on the frame 39 and adapted to engage at their upper ends with the lower ends of the boxes or bearings for the axis 10. By turning the lever 42, which is mounted on the shaft 43 carrying the cams 44, said shaft will be rotated and the cams 4 1, by reason of their engagement with the lower ends of the, slides 41, will raise said slides and thus elevate that portion of the conveyer 30,.supported by the wheels 30*. An oppositemoveme'nt of the lever 412 will return the conveyer to its lower normal position and'the movement effected by the lever.

42 isadapted to elevate the conveyer at will in order to engage it properly with the portable pallet 16; r v r r 7 As shown clearly in Figs. 7 and 12, the units of the spreader device are connected by members 37 whichare each formed somewhatsimilarto a cotter pin. These members 37 permit of relative movement of the units, or, in other words,establishloose connections' between the units permitting the latter to be moved practically into edge contact or to be spread a short distance, namely the distance which it may be desired to spread the bricks after the clay has beencut. Since the outermost of the units,designated 6, carry the rollers 5 which operate in the tracks 3 of the plates 3, it will be apparent that as the spreader is moved in one direction the cooperation of the parts 5 and 3 will cause not only the outermost units 6 but those connectedtherewith to bespread apart; on the other hand, as the spreader moves in the opposite direction the rollers 5 acting on the outermost units 6 are thereby V adapted to force the various units of the spreader together or into closed position.

Summarizing the general operation of the invention, it will be apparent that when the parts are arranged in the positions shown in Fig. 8, movement of the lever 25 will force the carriage 19 rearwardly in the direction of the stick of clay fed on to the table of the machine. The cutting wires 3% during this movement of the carriage, will cut the stick of clay into separate bricks and furthermore thespreader units on the frame 12 will be moved together and carried beneath the several brick thus out. On returning the lever 25 to its original position, as shown in Fig. 8, the bricks are carried outwardly toward the conveyer 30 until the spreading devices assume the positions shown in Fig. 8, whereupon the catches 21 will have been tripped to drop the stop 22 behind the bricks. During this movement of the carriage and spreader attachment by the lever 25, the units of the spreader will have been separated, as shown in Fig. 8. Upon a subsequent return movement of the carriage to cut from the stick of clay a new set of bricks, those previously cut and resting on the spreading units will be engaged by the stop 22 and swept over the rolls 13, 14 and 15 upon the pallet 16, depressing the latter so that when the carriage is again reversed in its movement, said pallet 16 will engage with the conveyer 30 and be carried off while the newly cut bricks are being spread and positioned beyond the stop 22.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction of parts as hereinbefore described as it is within the scope of my invention to alter the special form of spreading means set forth so long as it performs the function required for an advantageous operation of the invention. The spreader proper is double-acting, or in other words, the units thereof are pulled apart or spread by means operating on the opposite ends of the spreader. If desired, the spreader could be single-acting which would require merely the omission, practically speaking, of one of the plates 3 and its operative connection with an end unit of said spreader. This alteration would depend upon the character of material from which the bricks are made and also upon the climatic conditions where operated. So far as I am aware, I am the first to devise for a brick making machine, means which operates automatically during the regular operation of the machine to separate the stick of clay into bricks to subsequently spread said bricks.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In brick making machinery, the combination of a carriage, a sweeper, a spreader mounted on said carriage, a portable pallet, and means for actuating the carriage past the sweeper to transfer the bricks from the spreader to said pallet and for simultaneously actuating the spreader.

2. In brick making machinery, the combination of a carriage, a portable pallet mounted thereon, a spreader supported by the carriage, means for simultaneously actuating the carriage and spreader, and means for sweeping the bricks from the spreader to the portable pallet as the carriage is actuated.

3. In brick making machinery, the combination of a spreader, a support adapted to receive bricks thereon, a stop arranged to engage the bricks while supported by the spreader, means for causing spreading action of the spreader, and means for moving the spreader to cause the stop aforesaid to shift the bricks from the spreader to the said support.

A. In brick making machinery, the combination of a spreader, a support adapted to receive bricks thereon, a stop arranged to engage the bricks while supported by the spreader, means for causing spreading action of the spreader, means for moving the spreader to cause the stop aforesaid to shift the bricks from the spreader to the said support, and means connected with the spreader moving means for rendering the stop operable.

5. In brick making machinery, the com bination of a carriage, cutting mechanism on the carriage, a spreader mounted on said carriage and comprising a plurality of units, a stationary cam device coacting with one of the units of the spreader to move the same, means for actuating the carriage and thereby moving the spreader bodily relative to the cam device, and connections between the spreader units for causing simultaneous spreading movement of the same. a

6. In brick making machinery, the combination of a table, a carriage mounted thereon, a stop movably mounted on the table, a spreader on the carriage, means for actuating the spreader, means operable by the carriage to cause the stop to move into the path of movement of the bricks on the spreader, and means for shifting the carriage to cause the stop to engage and transfer the bricks from the spreader to a suitable point of deposit.

7. In brick making machinery, the combination of a table, a carriage mounted thereon, a stop movably mounted on the table, a spreader on the carriage, means for actuating the spreader, means operable by the carriage to cause the stop to move into the path of movement of the bricks on the spreader, a conveyer, rolls proximate to the conveyor, and means for shifting the carriage to cause the stop to engage the bricks and transfer the same from the spreader over the rolls to the conveyer.

S. In brick making machinery, the combination of a carriage, a spreader mounted on said carriage, means for operating the carriage to transfer the bricks to a suitable point of deposit, and means for automatically operating the spreader during movement of the carriage.

9. In brick making machinery, the combination of a support, a carriage mounted thereon, Vmeans for moving said carriage back and forth on thesupport, means on the carriage to receive clay as the carriage is moved in one direction, and stop means to engage with the clay as the carriage is moved in an opposite direction whereby to transfer the clay to a suitable point of deposit.

10. In brick making machinery, the combination of a support, a carriage mounted thereon, means for moving said carriage back and forth on the support, means on the carriage to receive clay as the carriage is moved in one direction, stop means to engage with the clay as the carriage is moved in any opposite direction whereby to transfer the clay to a suitable point of deposit, and

means intermediate said stop means and the carriage for automatically controlling the operation of the former.

11. In a machine ,of the class described, the combination of a carriage, cutting mechanism supported thereon, a spreader also mounted on. the carriage for movement therewith, means'coacting with the spreader for operating the same on its movement with the carriage, a stop movable in relation to the carriage to cooperate with the latter for transferring brick 0n the spreader to a suitable point of deposit, and a lever cooperating with the carriage, spreader and stop for controlling the operation of said parts.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I hereunto attach my signature in the presence of two witnesses EDMUND GURNEY. Witnesses E. OGARA, C. D. Ross.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

